Classification is a concept that we need to understand the world more comprehensively. Our minds already classify information and keep it in schemata. In this way, we all understand and make sense of what is meant in interpersonal communication. When we think of birds, food, people, fruits and vegetables, we all think of similar things.
However, classification; The problem arises when it slides to the point of labeling, marginalization or prejudice. This is a very common situation in our lives and this situation reduces people's tolerance for each other. People marginalize each other based on the movies they watch, the thoughts they have, their gender, the language they speak, their musical tastes, the teams they support, and even the diseases they have. As a result of this marginalization, people exhibit a more hostile attitude towards each other and engage in a struggle. Tolerance is disappearing. First of all, it is extremely normal for people to gather on common grounds. It is understandable that people with similar worldviews, similar interests and tastes come together and establish a sharing environment to meet the need for socialization. Moreover, from an evolutionary perspective, it makes sense that groups with common characteristics can survive longer and become stronger. But these groups with different perceptions and interests turning against each other or insulting each other is a situation that goes beyond normal. It is even more thought-provoking that this condescending and hostile approach manifests itself in such trivial matters as tastes in movies and music and favorite teams.
We see that this marginalization is also made to people with certain disorders. It is possible that these disorders are referred to as belittling or degrading to someone else in society. For example, using normally pathological disorders such as "are you schizophrenic" or "are you disabled" as insults is also an aspect of classification that leads to marginalization. Likewise, it is extremely sad to make fun of someone with this type of disorder, to make fun of him or her.
A similar situation applies to labeling and prejudice, even if the intention is not bad. For example, when talking about differently developing children or some mental disorders, these people are avoided and feared because the expectation of "aggression" is thought to be present in almost all of these disorders. Of course, the situation here is mostly due to lack of knowledge, awareness and generalizations.
So why are we so intolerant? First of all, one of these, which I have frequently mentioned lately, is trying to put a child into certain molds while raising him, and not respecting his essence, unique characteristics and choices. When we put our children into a mold, we teach them that there are absolute and unchangeable truths and that everything outside of those truths is absolutely wrong. We do not allow him to think, question, or give meaning. "You act as we say, because we know everything, neither you nor anyone else can. We are saying that the child raised in this way can only accept the environment in which he was raised as a friend, while seeing everything else as enemies and concepts that have the potential to cause harm. Different tastes, He does not even see the need to think about thoughts and look for consistency and logic in them. He remains with an extremely superficial approach.
Therefore, his favorite team, his taste in music, and the movies he loves are seen as absolute truths at the unconscious level, and different tastes are accepted. Likewise, families do not help their children to be open-minded and accepting. Because children who are molded are not accepted and tolerated by their families in the first place.
Tolerance is a condition that can be learned. Tolerance education, acceptance and respect. The concepts should first be taught to children by families, and then their education and practices should be carried out in schools. If these occur, differences will begin to be seen as variations that color society, rather than as a situation of marginalization. The real tolerance It will begin when we realize that we belong to the class of living beings with all our differences and that we are part of a whole.
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